Yulin Cave 25: Illustration of the Amitayurdhyana Sutra - Western Pure Land - Music and Dance

CHINA, Gansu, Guazhou; Tang dynasty

This detail is located in the lower central section of the illustration of the Amitayurdhyana Sutra on the south wall of the main chamber. It depicts eight musicians seated upon carpets on two opposing sides, while a dancer performs in the center. Each musician plays a different instrument, including a conch shell, reed instrument, pipa, flutes, panpipe, and clappers.
The dancer wears a waist drum and stands on one foot, in a dynamic and energetic pose. The dancer’s energy is communicated in the twisting stoles surrounding the figure, the outstretched lift of the fingers, and the upturned toe of the raised leg. Though the figure is large, the movement appears graceful. This painting has been particularly valuable for research on dance and music during the Tang dynasty (618–907).